Ellen Gilchrist, the acclaimed writer and former Fayetteville resident, breathed her last on Tuesday. She was 88. An obituary from her family said Gilchrist died Tuesday in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, where she also spent her final years. Her family has not announced plans for her immediate funeral but informed a private burial will be held.
The award-winning writer is credited with publishing more than two dozen books, including essays, novels, and poetry. Her book, 'Victory Over Japan', a collection of short stories set in Mississippi and Arkansas, bagged her a National Book Award for fiction in 1984. Some of her other popular books are 'Nora Jane', 'I Cannot Get You Close', 'Rhoda: A Life in Stories', and 'Act of God', among others.
Gilchrist was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1935. She inherited a knack for writing and reading from her surroundings. She said that because she watched people in their homes reading and writing, she developed a love of these activities as a child. Gilchrist tied the knot before completing her bachelor’s degree, and continued her classes at Welty at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, becoming a mother.
Ellen Gilchrist is survived by her sons Marshall Peteet Walker, Jr., Garth Gilchrist Walker and Pierre Gautier Walker; her brother Robert Alford Gilchrist; 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
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